Since it’s summertime, I’m Superdad full time; so I’m lucky enough to have my two daughters with me when I go to my favorite LCS–the great Android’s Amazing Comics, of course. The girls just love to browse the shop, to check out the comics–they really know how to handle them–and the blind bags–they certainly know how to handle them–and the–as my little one calls them–soft things: you know: a rainbow of My Little Ponies and blood-red My Murderous Deadpools–all the things kids love! Oh, it’s such a joy, especially since they let me take my time–without any distractions at all!–at the big wall of new books.

I pray I find these:

Leviathan #1 (Image)

Paper Girls #23 (Image)

Seven to Eternity #10 (Image)

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #37 (Image): I&N Demand I loved #36! It’s easily one of my favorite single issues of the year. David Lapham emptied his clip into that one: Spanish Scott and Monster–talk about toxic masculinity! (Oooh, this issue’s a black and white Superfund site!) “Monsters are comin’,” indeed! Gotta love those bad dudes–but not as much as Love Yourself–err—himself. I fell for that fucker right away, and it’s no surprise why: on the surface, he’s sunshine and roses; but on the inside, there’s some kinda complicated shit goin’ on. The love, the pain, the humor in the bespectacled face of death–I rooted my ass off for Love. And that final page, tho. That‘s a stray bullet right through the motherfucking heart. Color me kinda nervous going into this next one. Fucking monsters.

Batman #52 (DC): I&N Demand Batman vs. Bruce Wayne! OK, so Bruce was a little hot after being left at the ledge. Does that mean he–as Bat–had to put the heat on Freeze? Hell yeah it does! But Bruce gets it: he knows he went too far; and now, to remedy the situation, he’s got to fight eleven fellow Gothamites–those very citizens he’s fought for all along while wearing the cape and cowl! I can’t wait to see how this plays out. Tom King–FYI: CIA BEF DC–takes his take on torture/enhanced interrogation techniques to the chilly jury room, and Lee Weeks kills it with his gritty realism. All together, #51 is powerful issue that sets up one heck of a Battle–let the deliberations begin!

Mister Miracle #10 (DC): I&N Demand I’ve never cared for the New Gods. But now–now I care about the New Gods–because through nine issues, the New King has taken us through one emotional Boom Tube after another. He–with the Eisner-winning help of Mitch Gerads–has got the gods grounded in the real and still they’re goddin’ it well enough to make it all so much more. One thing Scott Free will never escape: Tom King–they’re chained together forevermore.

Captain America #2 (Marvel)

The Immortal Hulk #4 (Marvel): I&N Demand I really liked #1. #2 was aight. It had me kinda like Do I need this? (Already droppin’ lots of green every Wednesday, so…) I picked up #3 anyway and was totally Whoa! Al Ewing won me over with the multiple-perspectives-as-offered-by-multiple-artists approach. (Excited to see Garry Brown bangin’ out Big Green.) Loved it! It was incredible immortal! Happy to see, too, a little Alpha Flight action there at the end. As I told someone recently–if commenting on Instagram counts as telling: Alpha Flight is the bacon of comics: they make any book better! Two gamma-irradiated biceps way waaaaay up! Hoping this one flexes its muscles, too.

Survival Fetish #3 (Black Mask): I&N Demand Through two, the all-ways moving Survival Fetish really gratifies: the premise is super sexy; Patrick Kindlon’s writing is sharp–the narration and the dialogue double-teaming to deliver an engaging read; but the star of the show is Antonio Fuso, whose black and white art scrupulously sells Saheer’s experience–his ever-evolving “movement”–and, ultimately, runs this fucking town. In fact, I’m gonna sprint to the comic shop as soon as it opens to get my hands on this one–’cause there’ll probably only be one or two on the shelf and it’d suck to miss it–especially after the wait (it’s been a while) and after having re-read #2 to get my feet under me. Damn that was good!

Another big week of big books, highlighted by four titles from our Top Ten of 2013 (Wild Blue Yonder, Saga, Zero, and Archer & Armstrong) and an Archie two-fer!

Batman and Robin #33 (DC): Robin Rises: Omega #1–a nonsensical, never-ending fight scene–was a huge disappointment. You know what? I’m going to pretend it never happened. Will be tough, though: I’m not too excited about the inevitable change of scenery; Lord Darkseid knows I’ve never been a fan of Apokolips.

Dead Boy Detectives #7 (DC/Vertigo): DBD has been very good–especially the previous Through the Looking Glass-inspired two-parter. New story starts here.

Superman #33 (DC): Re: #32: The new Men of Today: Geoff Johns and John Romita, Jr. have started their reign well with Men of Tomorrow. Liked how the former twisted Supes’ origin and came up with the well-named Ulysses. The latter proved that his style suits Superman just fine.

Wonder Woman #33 (DC): Azzarello and Chiang are on their way out. It’s been a helluva run–and gods know I will loyally follow them to the finish line.

Wonder Woman #33

Wild Blue Yonder #5 (IDW): Prepare to be jealous: I’ve already read it. Liked it a lot. (Shouldn’t come as much of a surprise: we’ve celebrated this series from the guys at Noble Transmission since take off.) It lives up to the standard set by issues before: it’s summer-blockbuster big with some massive art moments from Zach Howard and Nelson Daniel. (Nobody does double-page spreads like these guys.) I particularly like how in a relativist sense the Judge is pretty much a good guy, as he is trying to do right by his people. Just so happens other folks–those who call The Dawn home–would have to suffer in order for his people to survive. If I’m finding myself rooting for the Judge, it’s because Mike Raicht is selling him well–kind of like how Patricia Highsmith convinces you root for the immoral Thomas Ripley; that’s high praise, indeed! Also sold well is the big “final” moment, which is drawn out just long enough to sell one character’s sacrifice and another’s loss. Can’t wait to see how everything plays out. If you can’t wait to find out more about this issue, check out Derek’s review here.

Wild Blue Yonder #5

Saga #21 (Image): This arc hasn’t really lived up to the Saga standard. That being said, it’s still better than most. #20 ended on a robot strong note–even if it were a bit too robotic, too thick with politic.

Trees #3 (Image): Hasn’t grown on me. In fact, Derek and I agree: there’s been too much junk in the trunk; and, as a result, Trees #2 is our Biggest Dis(appointment) of June. May have to chop this one down. Might have trouble seeing the forest for the cover, though.

Tress #3

Velvet #6 (Image): New arc time. The first one rubbed me the right way. Something very modest about it.

Zero #9 (Image): The series started with so much promise. That promise, however, has been broken. Into pieces. Tiny, tiny pieces. We denounced #8 as our Biggest Dis(appointment) of May. It’ll take an act of God or my typical lack of willpower to get this one into my bag,

Supreme: Blue Rose #1 (Image): Ellis is lighting it up on Moon Knight yet is growing Trees at an pine’s pace. Wonder what we’ll get here.

Supreme: Blue Rose #1

Daredevil #6 (Marvel): #5 offered up my favorite line of the year: “Kudos to cancer.” Man, I laughed; and then I was like “Ugh”; and then I laughed some more. It’s quite clear: Mark ain’t afraid to Waid into some daring dialogue–especially if it’s meant to develop Matt further as the very best of friends and as the perfect Daredevil.

Afterlife With Archie #6 (Archie): Roberto Aguirre Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla’s first arc was as close to perfect as can be. Expectations are very high for the next.

Archer & Armstrong #22 (Valiant): “American Wasteland” has been a blast! Re: #21: I mean, ho-Lee crap: Fred Van Lente is fearless–he’s the Lone Funman! It was so much fun, in fact, that we’ll be celebrating it as one of our Top 5 Books of June. You know, when we get around to it.

Archer & Armstrong #22

Life With Archie #37 (Archie): Honesty: #36 was my first issue of LWA. (I know I’m not alone in that one.) It won’t be my last. It was really, really good. Love the choices Paul Kupperberg–who wrote one of my far- from-Archie faves: Vigilante–made while walking his way through Archie’s life. Just took one issue to make me care a whole lot about the aftermath.

The Midas Flesh #8 (BOOM!): Mercifully comes the end. After a strong #2, the series quickly went south and has unfortunately stayed that course–not plot-wise, per se; it’s been an execution issue, including too much in the way of leaden redundancies. Maybe–just maybe–the end’ll be the true North we’ve been searching for.

Ordinary #3 (Titan): Mercilessly comes to an end. An end? Already? Noooooooooooooooo! Damn, man, the first two issues have been so very good. We celebrated #1 as one of our Top 5 Books of May, and #2 will be recognized as one of our Top Books of June, you know, eventually. Have every expectation that this’ll be just as good–if not better! A strong finale will bump Rob Williams from a laudable Must Try to a rare Must Buy.

Ordinary #3

The Twilight Zone #7 (Dynamite): This second arc hasn’t been as nearly as compelling as the first. That being said, #6 was definitely a step up from #5. I’ll probably ride this one out, return to my home dimension and leave the key to imagination under the mat for the next guy.

Paige’s Pick of the Week

Popeye #24 (IDW): Big Sister’s still working on her pile from last week, so Baby Sister gets her second book in three weeks–of life! I’ve keyed in on Popeye for her because she looks like the spinach-chompin’ sailor man when she eats. And the cover’s an appropriate hoot, too, ’cause toot toot, my baby girl is goshdarn gassy!

Can’t buy ’em all. That’s why I narrow it down to a select many every week.

Dark Horse Presents #34 (Dark Horse): A pricey pick, that’s for sure; but a gotta grab because Dean Motter’s magnificent Mister X is making his much anticipated return to the DHU. And we love us some Mister X: if you didn’t already know–and you’d be in rare company–Mister X: Eviction was our #1 book of 2013.

Dark Horse Presents #34

Skyman #3 (Dark Horse): Has been OK. My interest level in this book increased exponentially after reading Joshua Hale Fialkov’s The Bunker. Makes this a bit of a potential pick. Thing is, as a four-issue mini, Skyman might not have the time to realize that potential. On a positive note, I’m willing to go the distance because it’s a mini. Wouldn’t have been so willing if it had been an ongoing.

The Witcher #1 (Dark Horse): Capable horror scribe Paul Tobin (Colder) makes it a maybe. The fact that it’s based on a video game makes it a maybe not. May also pass on this one.

American Vampire: Second Cycle #1 (DC/Vertigo): I’ve been looking forward to this! Oh, sure, I bashed Batman a time or two and have been mostly put to sleep by The Wake (that is until #6, which was, pretty much, in The Wake world, anyhow, the equivalent of a cold shower!). But that doesn’t mean I’m a Snyder hater; in fact, I happen to love American Vampire. Consumed ’em all in trade form and am ready for the next course!

Animal Man #29 (DC): Jumped off a while ago. Wondering if it’s worth picking up seeing as it’s the last issue and all. Love Lemire’s cover:

Suicide Squad #29 (DC): Hasn’t been as good as I had hoped it’d be with Kindt in command. Riding out his run, anyway.

Wonder Woman #29 (DC): It’s no surprise that this is the only New 52 book I’ve stuck with–without missing an issue–from #1. It’s no myth: Brian Azzarello has made a monthly living of being good. Of drawing out the story, sure, but of being good, nevertheless.

A Voice in the Dark #5 (Image): Well, I certainly didn’t celebrate #4. (Check out my review here.) What I have celebrated, however, is the potential that Larime Taylor has shown–especially in a terrific #2. Here, I’m hoping to see more than a return to form: I’m hoping to see improved pacing. This book desperately needs to cut to the chase–and draw some blood in the process.

A Voice in the Dark #5

Fuse #2 (Image): #1 was an offer I could easily refuse–not re-Fuse, mind you. Leaning toward leaving it on the shelf.

Lazarus #7 (Image): #6 was terrific–as always. In it, Rucka and Lark build some serious tension, which neither slacks nor snaps. It’s no wonder that Lazarus was our #7 book of 2013.

Sex Criminals #5 (Image): #4 was a bit of a rebound from a not-so-good #3, which was our Biggest Dis(appointment) of November 2013. I’m going to go one more round and see what happens. Let’s call this my having faith in Fraction. Sure, he’s a mad god; he’s an effing oversexed overlord! But when he’s good, he’s damn good. If Fraction’s big three books were a menage a trois–ain’t they, though?–Sex Criminals would be on the bottom–and loving it, no doubt.

Zero #6 (image): With an arc in the books, er, trades, Zero—our #8 book of 2013–gets back to business with Vanesa Del Rey (artist on BOOM!’s quick Hit) bringing Ales Kot’s vision to life. OK, not going to lie: still not too sure how I feel about how #5 ended. I mean, aliens? Really? Going to have to trust my man Kot on this one.

Zero #6

All-New Ghost Rider #1 (Marvel): My only real exposure to Tradd Moore has been Zero #2, which is my favorite issue of the series thus far. Honesty: I don’t give a boo about Ghost Rider; I’m grabbing this to get a little Moore. We’ll see if the little’ll turn into a lot soon enough.

All-New Ghost Rider #1

Avengers World #4 (Marvel): The series has been mostly blah. Started off well enough, but it seems to have fallen into its “bigger” trap, leaving me asking, “What in the world?” Consider how much bigger my bag promises to be this week, this one might find itself displaced.

Daredevil #1 (Marvel): Speaking of being displaced: time to see what Waid and Samnee have in store for comidom’s newest San Franciscan.

Ms. Marvel #2 (Marvel): I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed #1. Reminded me of my initial experience with Miles Morales and how well Brian Michael Bendis handled–and sold–the character in the face of controversy. In this case, I’m hoping that Wilson and Alphona can keep Kamala out of the editorial web that ultimately ensnared Miles.

Ms. Marvel #2

Uncanny X-Men #19 (Marvel): Don’t judge me.

Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #2 (Marvel): Probably not. I didn’t really care for the first one. And after Remender’s Deadly Class #2, I’ve pretty well given up hope that he can deliver something that interests me.

X-Men #12 (Marvel): OK. Now you may judge me. You know, the series started off on such a nostalgic note, and I bought right into it. Felt like the X-book I had been waiting for since coming back to comics. Then came the momentum busting Battle of the Atom. Since then, the damn thing’s been a bit of a mess. I’ll ride out this storyline and decide from there.

Curse #3 (BOOM!): My curse: being unable to quit on a mini if I’m at least two issues in–even if I really don’t care very much about it. That pretty well describes this series for me.

Harbinger #0.2014 (Valiant): Everything you’ve wanted to know about the Bleeding Monk but were afraid to ask.

Harbinger #0.2014

Letter 44 #5 (Oni Press): Still loving President Blades, and right now that’s all that matters to me.

Shadowman #16 (Valiant): A monthly mystery: I don’t care a lick about any of the characters and I’m often vexed by all the voodoo; but I still like it. A major selling point: Roberto De La Torre’s art. It really suits Peter Milligan’s turn on the book.

The Sixth Gun #39 (Oni Press): I’m almost caught up! I’ve got three more issues to rock out. Know what? There’s no reason why I shouldn’t read through them tonight. There you go: I’m going to read them tonight; and I will read this one first. How’s that? Oh, and, umm, just in case you didn’t know already: it’s good. Really good. As I’ve mentioned in recent posts: the team of Bunn and Hurtt will go down as one of the greats of the modern era–maybe even of all time–because of the terrific work they’ve done on The Sixth Gun.

The Sixth Gun #39

X-O Manowar #23 (Valiant): Has been a solid read from the get-go. Aric’s another one of my favorite characters, and Venditti’s shown a great command of his character in and out of the armor.

Avery’s Pick of the Week

Scribblenauts Unmasked: Crisis of Imagination #3 (DC): My daughter has enjoyed the first two issues well enough. By “enjoyed” I mean “not torn the covers off yet.”

Skyman #2 (Dark Horse): My interest in the book has been ramped up not by #1 so much as learning more about Joshua Hale Fialkov as a writer through his book The Bunker from Oni Press, which came out in print last week. Yeah, so, suddenly I’m like “Sky’s the limit!” for this one.

The White Suits #1 (Dark Horse): The new one from Frank J. Barbiere–writer of the underwhelming Five Ghosts, which I dropped after #2–is described as “violent noir,” which is right up my alley; so I’ll pick it up.

Batman and Two-Face #28 (DC): Best Batman of the bunch? Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Batman, biatch! OK, so, it’s not Mind MGMT; very few books are. But it is Batman: it sounds like, looks like, and feels like Batman–and that’s what’s important, isn’t it? The turn with Two-Face has been a fun one, and it ends here.

Batman and Two-Face #28

Wonder Woman #28 (DC): The only New 52 book I’ve been on from the get-go. Remarkably consistent, drawing more from myth as we go along. Bring on the Minotaur!

A Voice in the Dark #4 (Image): We were lucky enough to receive a preview copy from Larime Taylor a couple of weeks back. My review–and assessment of the series–can be found here.

Alex + Ada #4 (Image): If I had more time, I would’ve written up a Scottlight On post for #3–a very positive Scottlight On post. I loved it: the dialogue, the absence of dialogue; the composition of balance, the language of juxtaposition; the slow simmer, the tempered tone; the spirit of Asimov, the sword of Damocles. Very much looking forward to what Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn have programmed for us this time around.

Alex + Ada #4

Avengers World #3 (Marvel): Certainly isn’t a must read, but hasn’t been bad. Certainly worth another issue.

Daredevil #36 (Marvel): The end–for now. We know where it’s going from here, yet I wonder where it’s going from here. From Hell’s Kitchen to Hells Angels? Is DD gonna chill on Devil’s Peak? Or drink from the Devil’s Punchbowl?

Daredevil #36

Uncanny X-Men #17 (Marvel): This isn’t a good sign: I don’t really remember what happened in #16. Then again, maybe it’s the sign I’ve been waiting for all along. Maybe I should just be done with this book once and for all and put my four bucks toward something I won’t whine about every damn month. Hmm. Maybe save up for Rucka’s Cyclops book out in May.

X-Men #11 (Marvel): I swore after #10 that I was done. That’s three times after only ten issues! Sounds about right.

Extinction Parade #5 (Avatar): I have an idea: let’s marry Max Brooks’s writing with Alex Maleev’s artwork. That’d be something! As it is, this is a tolerable exploration of the relationship between otherwise intolerable vampires and zombies brought to the page in the typical Avatar style.

The Midas Flesh #3 (BOOM!): #2 was one of our Top 5 Books of January! Our needle’s pointing due Ryan North!

The Midas Flesh #3

Quantum and Woody #8 (Valiant): James Asmus is keeping it crazy in his little corner of the Valiant Universe. Always good for a laugh.

Unity #4 (Valiant): Outside of Mind MGMT, this is where Matt Kindt’s clearly most comfortable. And with Kindt’s Rai reboot on the way, we’ll see just how comfortable. Makes all the sense in the world that Valiant would be the best fit for him: he gets to remodel the house instead of simply moving the furniture around.

My daughter now expects a “present” every time I come home from the comic store. Instead of just grabbing something off the shelf willy-nilly, I’m going in with a plan. I’m calling it…

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

Scribblenauts Unmasked: Crisis of Imagination #2 (DC): There’s no doubt about it: Avery loves her superheroes. While flipping through #1, however, she seemed to like the little villains the most. I’m in trouble.

The Massive #19 (Dark Horse): Brian Wood and Garry Brown have a long way to go to outdo what they did with “Longship,” the finest arc of the series thus far. Could cut the tension with a harpoon–and just barely! But they’ve got plenty of wind in their sails and Arkady–an even bigger threat than the great white whaler, Bors Bergsen–on deck, so I’m betting on better.

Mind MGMT #18 (Dark Horse): We celebrated Mind MGMT as our #2 book of 2013 and issue #17 as the Best Single Issue of 2013. Well, wouldn’t you know, the Year of the Snake comes to a close in the jungle, the mighty jungle, where an agent sleeps tonight…

Wonder Woman #27 (DC): We’re through twenty-seven mostly solid issues and where have we gotten? No, really: someone please tell me why I should keep buying this! It was good just ain’t good enough anymore. Something to consider: if I drop this and Suicide Squad–once Kindt’s run is over–I’ll be down to one New 52 book. One. Sad–especially with Marvel’s All-New effort to inject excitement back into their brand with big names and tempting titles. Umm, I guess, in a way, I’m kind of calling for a Newer 52.

Bedlam #11 (Image): It’s taken me this long to suss Spencer out. But now that I have, I feel fully invested in Fillmore’s story and have no good reason to ditch.

Dead Body Road #2 (Image): While I wasn’t blown away by #1, I like Justin Jordan enough to give it another shot. If it doesn’t live up to expectations, I’ll bag it and tag it, put it in a box, and say good-bye.

Deadly Class #1 (Image): Thing is, I really don’t like Rick Remender enough to give any of his books any kind of shot. Captain America‘s a disaster in any dimension, Uncanny Avengers was unreadable from the get-go, and Black Science gave me every reason to disbelieve in Remender and in his ability to create a world of worth.To sharpen my point: the premise of this book sounds a lot like Five Weapons–also from Image–doesn’t it? Ugh. And after all that, I’ll probably still buy it.

Zero #5 (Image): #4 was brilliant. In fact, it solidified Zero as one of our Top Ten Books of 2013. Ales Kot and his coterie of artists have so far delivered four fantastic stanzas of versified violence! And to think the epic has just begun!

X-Men #9 (Marvel): The addition of the Dodsons has been a Godsend. They’ve double-handedly drawn me back in.

Eternal Warrior #5 (Valiant): I’m leaning toward dropping it. Hasn’t been bad. Just don’t think I’m into it enough. Feel like I’m buying it out of loyalty for Valiant. Not a good enough reason to part with $4–not anymore.

Wonder Woman #23 (DC): Brian Azzarello wraps up his two-year epic with a bang. And with style – Cliff Chiang handles the art from start to finish. By expanding Diana’s family ties beyond her strictly Amazonian origin, Azzarello and Co. have given her truly mythic proportions.

Animal Man #23 (DC): Jeff Lemire continues to slowly get his mojo back on this book (the anthropomorphic pirates riding a giant narwhal through a sea of blood was particularly fun). The balancing act between the personal, fanciful, and horrific, along with the impending arrival of Rafael Albuquerque on art, are threatening to make this title relevant again.

Numbercruncher #2 (Titan): Along with the superlative Six-Gun Gorilla, this title offers further proof that Si Spurrier is one of the most wildly inventive writers around. Turns out God is nothing but a miserly accountant, keeping track of every tick of the adding machine in the great equation that is the Universe. Against such a soul-numbing backdrop, what chance does true love have? If you’re a genius mathematician, the answer is: pretty good. P.J. Holden provides the appropriately loopy visuals. As unlikely entertaining a confection as you’re likely to find.

Daredevil #30 (Marvel): As an endless array of crossovers (ugh) spill out from the big two (and beyond), Mark Waid and Einser-Award-Winner Chris Samnee show us how it’s done. An unlikely team-up, a self-contained story that nevertheless manages to raise the stakes sky-high, and a nice twist at the end that actually affects the main character – what more could a super hero fan want? Ok, how ’bout this: Samnee drawing DD rocking a surfboard through the streets of Manhattan?

Top Pick – Adventure Time #19 (kaboom!): I’ve come to expect formal innovation from this title (it deserves the accolades it’s been getting); and indeed we get that in Andy Hirsch’s clever back-up story. But what we get in the lead feature (by Ryan North, with art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb) is unexpected depth and heartbreak, as the Ice King further assumes his role as the central, tragic figure of the whole Adventure Time franchise (sort of like what Darth Vader was supposed to be in Star Wars). And all the while, as is often the case with AT, all the silliness and jokes practically dare you to take any of it seriously.

Give it a Miss – X-Men #4 (Marvel): The definition of a filler issue. Some nice (if uncharacteristic) scenes between Jubillee and Wolverine aside, nothing really happens in this book; disappointing, considering Brian Wood’s strong start on this title. And with the Battle of the Atom crossover (again I say, ugh) looming, I may be giving this book a miss for the foreseeable future. Wake me when it’s over!

Batwoman #23 (Read it! A lot of running in place, but it does so stylishly: McCarthy has brought his A-game again; I mean, how terrific is the transition from dream-Maggie, who is bleeding out, to a tripping Kate, who’s still stuck in a fear toxin-induced stupor? Stunning.)

Wonder Woman #23 (Read it! Wonder Woman‘s been frustratingly good–yeah, just good–for over a year now. We’ve endured some missteps–some that thoughtlessly pushed it from my pull-list and then some that have brought me to the brink of dropping it entirely; and, remarkably, there have never really been any remarkable moments. The series, up until now, has just been good. And then came #23: “Goddown.” Halle-friggin’-lujah! So many fantastic page turns and subtle touches from Azzarello and Chiang. Finally! Finally, I can put good down–because this issue is great.)

Dream Thief #4 (Read it! Stuck in mediocrity, which is a shame after such a strong first issue–and even more so because only one issue remains. The end, however, is promising. We’ll see what happens.)

Chin Music #2 (Read it! Niles’ story isn’t doing anything for me yet, but Harris’s art is ridiculously good. The layouts, the line work, the attention to detail, the coloring: it’s all pretty amazing. It’s a rare book that I’ll pick up for the art alone; going forward, this may be one of those books.)

Chin Music #2

Revival #13 (Read it! A lot going on, but still hasn’t gotten anywhere significant. I do like how Seeley and Norton worked out Joe’s taking Dr. Weimar’s story, however.)

Revival #13

X-O Manowar #16 (Read it! Solid back and forth between the admirably arrogant Aric and the immortally wise Gilad.)

Bloodshot #0 (Read it! Kindt does a nice enough job building Bloodshot’s backstory, even if it is a bit convoluted at times. Playing to his strength, he tells the story through a first-person narrator, which gives the book the feel of a Mind MGMT sideshow.)

Superman Unchained #3 (Read it! For the most part, I like what Snyder’s developing here with the Wraith. Unfortunately, Jim Lee’s sucking the life out of the story with his soulless, static renderings.)

Superman Unchained #3

Indestructible Hulk #12 (Read it! Actually kind of fun! Waid handles the troika of Kids really well, and the Hulk–with the help of Scalera’s art–does his best Six-Gun Gorilla impression while cleaning up the more-than-one dinosaur town. And once again, I’m not hating the dinosaurs. I’ve really evolved over the past year, no?)

X-Men #4 (Read it! Four books in–ugh!–we’re left to suffer through a one-and-done filler issue that accomplishes very little basically because The Battle of the Atom’s up next. Would it’ve made more sense to start the series alongside the mini or even after?)

Animal Man #23 (Read it! The Brother Blood side of the story isn’t as terrible as I thought it’d be. The Maxine side reads a lot like something out of John Ney Rieber’s Books of Magic monthly series from back in the day. It all comes together well enough with some blood red betrayal–like totemly!)

Batman and Nightwing #23 (Read it! A terrific extension of Morrison’s vision that culminates in a touching moment that we might not have expected but that we–and Alfred–definitely deserved. I love how Tomasi compassionately promotes Alfred to Bruce’s peer-in-grief with a simple omission: “Oh God, Bruce…” Cements itself as the best Batman book goin’.)

Daredevil #30 (Read it! Great opening with Kirsten McDuffie. She and Matt have great chemistry, don’t they? The rest of the story plays out well enough–that is until Daredevil takes control of the Surfer’s board and Samnee and Rodriguez paint the town red and silver. They absolutely soar with Waid’s wit at their backs–all the way to the bitter bookend.)

Dream Thief #4 (Dark Horse): We celebrated #1. Not so much the next two. I’m just going to grin and pick this one and then ride out the series.

Animal Man #23 (DC): I can’t seem to find solid ground with this title. Ideas in a single issue can run the gamut from clever to terrible; and the dialogue–ugh!–is generally a disaster. As I am with Batman, I’m hanging on to Animal Man because I respect the writer; and, like Snyder, Lemire deserves the longest of leashes. (I mean, come on: he’s a home run hitter: his story in Adventures of Superman #1 was so, so good–so very reminiscent of the superior Essex County.) Thing is, with Trillium #1, I’m finally getting what I want from Lemire, and that makes Animal Man expendable. We’ll see what bubbles up with Brother Blood. Hope it’s not hepatitis.

Animal Man #23

Batman ’66 #2 (DC): The first one was fun enough, though not quite funny enough. Here’s hoping that Jeff Parker ramps up the camp.

Batman and Nightwing #23 (DC): With Batman Incorporated gone the way of the most recent Robin, this stands as the best Batman title on the shelf.

Batwoman #23 (DC): And, wouldn’t you know, this one’s the best Batbook goin’.

Chin Music #2 (Image): Geez. I’m gonna hafta find #1 in order to get reacquainted with the Ness Niles and Harris left behind.

Revival #13 (Image): Has had its moments, sure, but is starting to feel the slog of a large cast of characters.

Daredevil #30 (Marvel): Not a big fan of the Silver Surfer. Never have been, really. Even the team-up with DD doesn’t do anything for me. Ah, but add Chris Samnee to the mix: this could be a good time.

X-Men #4 (Marvel): I had a bunch of problems with #3. Still, even in its infancy, X-Men is the cream of the mutant crop. Hey, check it out: the best Batbook stars a woman, and the best X-book is based on women. Hmm. Hermm.

Bloodshot #0 (Valiant): Matt Kindt’s takeover of the industry continues here. Hoping with all my might that he doesn’t suffer the same fate as Snyder and Lemire, who have stumbled some outside of their creator-owned work.

Animal Man #22 (Read it! I enjoyed it–maybe more than I should have. I like the idea of the Splinterfolk, even if Lemire’s dialogue during their page time tends toward clunky/goofy.)

Animal Man #22

Revival #12 (Read it! No surprise here: another solid issue. Love the way the kid’s cartoon was integrated into the story.)

Revival #12

Batwoman #22 (Read it! Liked it a lot. Maybe Menachem from Escape Pod Comics was right: it’s all good: even though J.H. Williams III isn’t drawing, he is writing. And Trevor McCarthy is pretty bad ass in his own right. Really dug the Batvillain rundown.)

Archer & Armstrong #11 (Read it! As consistent as they come: great fun and filet knife sharp! General Redacted is the —-! And I wasn’t so turned off by the dinosaurs!)

Archer & Armstrong #11

Ultimate Spider-Man #25 (Read it! It’s no secret: I like Miles more than I like Spider-Man Miles; but I’m not gonna lie: I really liked the final splash. That’s right, true believers: I was happy–in fact, relieved–to see Miles in his costume. What the heck is going on this week?)

FF #9 (Read it! No Allred, but still plenty of fun. Fraction’s in the zone, man. I think I can safely say I’ve grown fond of him, what with Hawkeye and Satellite Sam and all.)

Batman and Catwoman #22 (Read it! Good stuff all around. Has cemented itself as my favorite New 52 Batman title.)

Wonder Woman #22 (Read it! A decent read–as always. And, you know: I didn’t hate New Genesis and the New Gods as I usually do. Wait a minute. Something’s definitely up. First, I’m OK with dinosaurs in A&A. Then, I’m down with Spider-Man Miles. And, now I’m not turned off by the New Gods? There’s only one explanation: my mutant power has finally manifested itself: I’m–I’m–tolerant.)

Harbinger Wars #4 (Read it! Trying to remember… The series was not as epic as I had hoped. I really wanted Valiant–through this mini–to show the bigs how to do a crossover up right. Oh well. At least it’s over.)

Wonder Woman #21 (Chiang brings something to the page that Akins et al cannot. So, I’m already looking forward to it. My expectations remain tempered, however, because of the continued presence of the New Gods–even, if for the most part, it’s just Orion. I’ve never cared for the New Gods.)

Mara #5 (I’ve come to appreciate Brian Wood’s style a bit more now that I’m caught up with The Massive. I wonder if I should go back to the beginning with this one.)

Mara #5

Ultimate Spider-Man #24 (As I mentioned: I’ve always liked Cloak and Dagger. Looks like this one focuses on the polar-opposite pair. Wonder what that’s all about.)

Indestructible Hulk #9 (I’m kinda figuring that anything–N.E. thing–would be better than the ill-timed Thor diversion. And this isn’t just anything: it’s a

Animal Man #21 (An unfortunate combination of something I want more of–Buddy the reluctant celebrity–and something I want less of: Maxine in the Red–with Shepherd, for crying out loud! Ugh.)

Animal Man #21

Dream Thief #2 (Carries with it some high expectations. Always a tough position to be in.)

Mind the Gap Vol. 2 TP (Looking to build a little more quality into your weekly haul? I’ll tell you one way to do it: drop the crap and Mind the Gap!)

Mind the Gap #11 (Soooo excited that, once through this, I’ll be all caught up! Mr. McCann, here I come!)

Revival #11 (Ended well–really well, in fact. Checked out the first page of this one. Love the way it ends and how it sets up the page turn. Should be good!)